Most Inspiring Blogging Nurses: Notratched.net

This week marks National Nurses Week, a week dedicated to recognizing the tremendous work nurses countrywide are putting in.

In honor of Nurses Week, here at Soliant we are celebrating by sharing with you a small group of nurses who have not only been inspiring their patients, but who have also been inspiring others far and wide through their blogs.

Today our inspiring blogging nurse is Megen Duffy RN, BA, BSN, CEN who runs notratched.net. Megen is a writer, medical editor, nurse, photographer, and self-confessed geek. She has been a nurse since 2008.

Tell us a little bit about your background. What led you into nursing and how long have you been a nurse?

I’ve been a nurse since 2008. My first career was as a freelance medical editor, and I became more interested in action as opposed to fixing what other people wrote about medicine. I had wanted to be a nurse as a child, but my mother discouraged me; she thought I should be a doctor. So I ended up doing neither for a long time.

What do you find the most satisfying thing about your profession?

Statistically, there’s a very good chance that every time I go to work, I am going to make a notable difference in someone’s life. Nursing is a very concrete, instant-feedback job.

And the most frustrating?

Politics. National politics in the healthcare system, workplace politics, lateral-violence politics. I get worn out just trying to jump through hoops that do not help and in many cases hinder patient care.

Is there anything that stands out as the most memorable moment in your career?

Yes. I worked briefly at a pediatric residential facility, and one of the kids coded. I was the only medical nurse there and was able to do appropriate things to save the kid. It showed me that critical care is really my area of comfort.

What inspired you to start blogging?

When I started nursing school, there were a lot more nurse bloggers than there are now; people hadn’t been fired and run out on rails yet. I got a lot of benefit from reading and identifying with the experiences of other student nurses and from receiving advice from veteran nurses. I’ve always liked to write, so it became an obvious step for me.

Is there one piece of advice you would give to nurses at the start of their nursing career?

Fly under the radar. It has been a hard-learned lesson for me that drawing a line in the sand over one patient or one issue will prevent you from making a difference for a greater number. It is never worth it. Be silent, and stay to nurse another day. (I am rarely able to take this advice, but it’s good advice, and I would be happier if I could follow it.)